C25K for those that have never jogged before

i am wanting to start c25k but i feel like i need to lose a bit more weight so im not trying to carry all this extra around with me...i havent ran or even joggged since the 8th grade when we had to do the president fitness test thing and run a mile so its gonna be slow going...but on the phone thing, walmart has these great danskin now tanktops that have a media pocket on the right shoulder/chest area and my phone fits perfect and i think i paid like maybe 8 bucks. hope that helped!!

They make running clothes with pockets for things like iPods, cell phones, etc. As far as the water goes, it was not worth it to me to carry a bottle around- I just drank when i was done. I have a friend who would just carry it though- I can't carry things when I run!
I was not a runner at ALL when I did C25K a few years ago. You can do it!

Hi! I'm in the process of doing the C25K now. I have NEVER been a jogger in my life. In high school, we were supposed to "run the mile"... yeah, it took me 20 minutes. I could only run for 15 seconds at a time. Now I'm 30 years old, and the C25K program has got me running at 20 minute intervals!! That's about 2 miles for the pace I go!! I love the app for my iPhone as well. If you don't feel ready to move on to the next level, you can redo any day. They even have a GPS feature that you can add that tells you how far you've gone, how fast you've gone, and how many calories you burned along the way!! It's super!

I bought an armband for my phone, so I just wear it there. As for water- I drink up before and after the run/jog. It works out pretty well for me. If you still need water, I've seen belts you can by that bottles could attach to.

Good luck!! :-) Running is 50% physical, 50% mental.

One other quick thought... if you're really serious about it... sign up for a 5K in a few months from now. It can give you a goal to work toward, and it helps you to not give up... I'm running my first on April 30th! :happy:

Oooh yay!
I started C25K after New Year and finished it at the beginning of March (right on schedule!). I wasn't a runner at ALL at the start. I went out for a test of day 1 before I started but that was mainly because I was so excited about my new running shoes.

Advice:
-Make sure you have the right running shoes! The general advice is to go to a specialist running shop BUT that isn't completely necessary. You can do a test at home with a paper sheet (or grocery bag) and some water: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-319-326-7152-0,00.html
Once you know what kind of feet you have, you can go to a shop that sells running shoes and they should be able to point you in the right direction. I went to JJB Sports and the girl working there knew what I meant when I said I had a high arch foot.

-On the running itself... don't sprint! I found it difficult in the earlier weeks (probs week 1-5) then it got easier as my body adapted to longer distances. Keep the pace at whatever you feel comfortable. I ran with my boyfriend to begin with and he got frustrated because his longer legs ran faster but I wanted to stay at my own pace rather than catch him up. Remember you're training yourself up so don't try and go faster if you think you're slow.

-Don't cheat! Try to stay with the timings of the c25k plan. Your body should be ready for each step up. If you're struggling, you probably started out too fast so you should slow down (but don't start walking til you're told to).

-Podcasts to help - I used podcasts to help me because the guy who made them has done the plan himself and uses music to keep you at a steady pace. He also tells you, in the slightly longer runs, when you're half way through. That's a good help so you know you've got less time left than you've already run (so you're closer to finishing... if you get me) http://www.c25k.com/podcasts.htm

-Water... As long as you drink a glass (two cups in American measurements) of water an hour before running, you should be fine. Drink afterwards (and have a protein rich meal like eggs or meat). Towards the end weeks (7 maaaaybe, 8 or 9), you may need to bring a bottle of water with you. Get one with a sports cap so you don't splash everywhere and so it's easier to drink on the go. Generally speaking, if you're running for less than 30 minutes, your body doesn't need water during the run. Maybe have a drink ready for you when you get back to your car or your house.

I have never run before.......I started C25K this week and am sooo unfit, I couldn't even manage the 2nd 60 second jog on my first day. Today though I got to do 4 of the 8 jogs. I'm looking at it that I'm adding another couple of weeks into it, so having a 2-week run-up (no pun intended) to officially starting week 1. In the UK we can download a set of podcasts - one for each week - which seem to be very useful. I am determined to be able to run - but I think I'll have to lose a lot more before I can do it properly.

For the water....what about a camel pack? Those come in all different sizes and because they are worn like a back pack it would keep your hands free. I have to have water when I jog/ run. I take a medication that causes cotton mouth and if I don't have water with me my tongue literally sticks to the roof of my mouth!!:laugh:

I had never ever EVER ran a mile before last spring. I am 38 years old and did C25K with the Podrunner Intervals podcasts downloaded on iTunes. I put them on my iPhone, put the earbuds in, my phone in my pocket and took off! It was SO hard at first but I stayed on track and finished in the exact amount of time it was supposed to (I was really surprised by this) and did my first 5k race last July! Did another in October and shaved 5 minutes off my time!! Now I'm training for my first 10k.. I'm up to running 7 miles at a stretch (once a week, not every time, there's a training plan I'm following) and I can honestly say I love running! Lacing up the shoes and getting started can sometimes be difficult, but I do it because I know that when I get done I feel so invincible!!!! There's nothing I can't do now, and I know that! I have so much more confidence, much more endurance, and overall feel amazing! I've lost weight before, but never at this weight can I wear some of the sizes I can wear now. I'm trying on tops that are size M and they FIT! As a larger chested girl this has never EVER been an option for me, but my tummy is so far down that I actually can wear some of them now, and I know this is due to the running. Controlling the food has been an ongoing battle for me, but with my running, I know that if I eat certain things I will have a tummy ache during tomorrow's run, so I can skip the fried food much more easily now!

If you're going to try it, JUST DO IT!!! Get fit for running shoes, buy at least a couple cute outfits (they make you feel so much better about how you look out there) and go for it!!!